Limitless Pun

If I had my hands on some NZT I might be able to come up with a more clever title. But it is what it is.

I have to admit, I only saw the original Limitless film once and it was way back in 2011 when it was in theaters, so my recollection of it is fuzzy at best. I do remember liking it, though. I remember thinking Bradley Cooper was pretty and being super smart is kind of sexy. Also, I think everything faded away into a technicolor blur by the time the credits rolled. Or maybe that was the opening credits? I don’t know. That’s all I’ve got. So, whether or not this CBS sequel series is a fresh take on the film, I can’t say. But I can say that I’m not mad at it.

The hero of our story is Brian Finch, played by Jake McDorman, and the general idea is that there’s a magical drug that makes you hella smart. He’s a frumpy dumpy Joe Blow with an average body (at least it appears to be, under his bored 30-something stoner clothes) who manages to be cute while he’s at it. Fellow gays might call him an otter. And then they’d try to have sex with him.

Aside from being a bored 30-something stoner-type, he’s also a caring family man and a starving artist. The crux of our story comes from his former band-mate growing up, getting corporate, and running into Brian at his latest temp job. One thing leads to another and he gets his first taste of super-geniusdom when NZT-48 winds up down his throat. Another thing leads to another and he uses his newfound smarts to heal his misdiagnosed ailing father. Another-other thing leads to another-other and he ends up in cahoots with Jennifer Carpenter in the hopes of solving a bunch of murders.

Also, Bradley Cooper takes a break from his Senatorial re-election campaign to show up and essentially be Brian’s dealer.

That’s everything plot-wise, in a nutshell. Other than that, the show’s admirable trait is that it’s fucking pretty. Straight up Awake style. Dark, boring green world pre-NZT vs. bright, vibrant orange world post-NZT.

Then there’s Jennifer Carpenter.

Pause for happy sigh.

I literally can’t handle how much I love Jennifer Carpenter. Even if she wasn’t in this show, I’d probably like it, but the fact that she is in it pretty much guarantees I can’t say anything negative about it. I can’t bring myself to say anything negative about anything she’s a part of. And I probably never will. Unless it’s to complain about her not getting the recognition and praise she deserves. No one else in the history of our motion picture obsessed world has ever made me believe that they are actually going through what their character is than Jennifer Carpenter. She doesn’t act. She just is. She doesn’t act sad. She turns herself into a profoundly depressed person. She doesn’t act angry. She physically morphs into a furious woman. Need her to be possessed by the devil? Check. Want her to look like she’s really been locked inside a building with a handful of other people who, be-tee-dubs, may or may not eat you? Done-zo. Want her to fall in love with her adopted brother? She’ll marry that bitch. I’d go on, but you’ll know from my previous posts how I feel about stalking. So, I’ll cut the creepy out and leave it at: Jennifer Carpenter is my favorite actress.